Coring machine



April 9 1957 G. A. CARTER 2,783,037

CORING MACHINE INVENToR.' Gle-0R65 f7. WR TEK.

2 Sheets-.Sheet 2 INVENTOR. GraKa-5,9. 'xrf/e. 2f

G. A. CARTER CORING MACHINE Filed Jan. 24, 1955 April 9,- 1957 fran/var `chine United States .CLhis invention'relates to a coringmachine particularly .'applicable -to thexcoring of tomatoes, lapples and other fruits, .as Well asapplicablevegetables. `It is designed to speed up :the coring koperationand improve vthe quality of ysuch-.processing, rcoring both :top and bottom of the prod- `uce iin .the` same operation.

The invention is, therefore, directed broadly to automatic-feeding"mechanism for feeding .the produce into @ithe .machine-in timed relation with gripping devices which `thereupon engage `the produce and present it alternately .to opposed coring knives which cut and remove the core7 .whereupon the produce yis released to a hopper.

rThe feeding mechanism .comprises a roller chain running in va horizontal position having small produce im- `ipa'ling pins extending .upwardly therefrom. As the chain .and 4pins 4.travel past a .working table, the produce is im- .'paled onthe pins vaxially of .the core thereof. The pins, f-throughthemedium of the endless chain operating in '-timedrelation .with the machine, carry the produce into position for gripping levers to grip opposite sides ofthe produce, lifting it .fromxthe impaling pins toward a rotat ingcoring knife which removes thev upper portion of the core. The machine then carries-theproducezin its gripped vposition into position for lowering it to be engaged by a `ilot/ver coringknife which removes the lower portion of the core, whereupon the produce is carried to a position :i Awhere theY gripping -levers are! released, freeing the prodyuae-which is thereupon sweptl into a .discharge hopper.

`The full nature'offthe invention will be understood from 'the accompanying drawings Vandv the following description and claims:

Fig.'1 isa perspective view showing the coring ma- With the 'produce feedingrnechanism moving in timed'relation therewithfor feeding produce thereto.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the 'machine 'with `por-tionsin elevation.

Fig. 3l vis a sectional lviewlof the machine` taken on' the rines-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig 4 `is an enlarged View partly in section of the .transfer station for :transferring 4the produce from the feeding belt to the coring machine.

liflnltherdrawings there is shown'tone .modification of the vmachine and lits'feeding mechanisrnfor'coring produce .such as tomatoes and the like;` wherein themachine is in :fthe form ofxa rotating turretinto `which the produce is fed intiined relation 'for presenting the produce .to an upper coringjstatioriy and then toa lowercoring station as .the'turretxrevolves the completionfof one.revolution 'ofuthe turret'fhaving-effected the coringoperation `both rati thev jtopandthebottom -of-...the produce, freedit and -fswept it to afdischarge hoppenvnot-shown. f

.'As lillustrated herein there -is shown. a `rotary A.coring machine embraced withinand .supported by` a.frame..1tl

zon-2n the itopof which thereismounted asdriving motor. 11, `fwhich:throughea'vsiiitable' vbeltdri-ve ldrives the. pulley 12 Connected--.to the zwerm? r.ISL-which in -turu `drives `.the .worm gear? 13ag secureds-to.the--upper-.end.of ya vertically'y and :centrally idisposed -.dr-ve i shaft 14. WSaid. 3 shaftr is1 rotati atene 2,788,037 Patented Apr. 9, 1957 fjice ably mounted upon. upper bearings 15 and .lower bearings 16 supported by the vframe .10 .and extending centrally thereof. -At the lowermost. end of ,the,shaftv14 andadljacent the bottom .of the .frame there vis secured .a .sprocket Wheel 17 which, through the timing .chain .ldrivesthe sprocket 19 secured to the shaft20 whichrcarriesfasprocket 21 at approximately. table tlevel. .The .lsprocketQZl .drives the. feeding mechanism in timed relationwith the yrotation of .the shaft 14,.'for `the purposes. hereinafter described.

The .feeding mechanism .comprisesessentially -an endless roller chain beltZZWhich .passes..ab0ut thersprocket ,21 .and suitable yidlersprockets .to..travel in:,a.f,horizontal plane at tableheight. .Said chain .belt .travels longitudi nally of the forWardedgeof a.feed..table...23.on .which .the produce ..24 is., carried -for feeding into. the zmaehine.

Said belt is-providedwith ay series `fof..spaced upright .irnpaling pins .25 upon which the produce is impaledaxially of the core as the-.beltV passes Aalong the forward.,.edge .of the feeding table. The belt is-housed betweenv a,.pair of producesupporting strips 26 so that .thel impaling pins travel along agap therebetween with the4 vproduce ...carried thereon. The sprocket which drives the feeding belt, .im-

.paling pins vand produce is .positioned within .the .frameof the .machine for presenting an impalingpiu .and produce .carried thereby in juxtapositionto the grppingleversand .in timed relation .withlthe rotation `ofthe. turret v.carrying said levers.

'ilhe lcoring..machineproper is. .in .the. .general,fo rm..of a rotating turret lsecured .upon .andirotated by the-shaft te un. tuned relationwith .the,.intro duction y.of ;the..respec tive rnipaling pins. thereto. .It consists vofa .pairof .upper spiders 2j? .and'l securedmtotheshaftlfi and..a.,pair .of

lov/er. spiders A29.,and,3tlv similarlysecured ther-cto. Fixed- .from Whichexteuds Athe lower` gripping ,levert orti-tigers Vtoiirmly hold .the produce but-Withoutbruising it. ;'1he

cam followers y37 .are yieldably retained against the .camming surfaces of cam .31 by tension springs 45a. .Said rods extend through .and vhave..theirl bearings in. .aligned openings Vprovided in the `several spiders.27,..ZS..and.29 1in respect towhich they .are l.adapted to be reciprocated by the earns 31, Salland the, springs 45a.

For mounting the upper coring knives there. is .affseries of angularly spaced shafts 46 -extending through .zand having their bearingsadjacent the outer periphery :of the upper spiders 27, 23. The upper. ends :of said Ishafts-,are rotatably retained and stabilized in their angularly spaced relation by the bearing ring isurroundingthe'cam 31. .Each shaft carries a pinion 4S at its uppenend driven by a stationary vgear 4,9 secured to the upper'frarne Work of the frame 19, inmediately above Vthesta'tionary cams 3i and 34, which gear mesheswith and-drivestthe pinions i8 and shafts 46 as the 'turret rotates relative-'to Vthe frame. Thelower end ofeach ShaLimmediately below the spiderZ, carries a` coringA head "Sit adjustably secured ment of the follower 37 with the cam 31.

thereto for rotation and having a downwardly and inwardly inclined coring knife 51.

Similarly, there are a plurality of upstanding coring shafts 52 having their bearings in and adjacent the periphery of the lower spiders 29, 30. Said shafts have secured to their lower ends the pinions 53 driven by the stationary gear 54 secured adjacent the lower end of the frame above the sprocket 17. Fixed to the upper ends of each of the shafts 52 there is an inwardly and upwardly extending coring knife 55. Each of the gripping levers 41 and 44 are of annular form provided with a central opening 56 of sufficient diameter to permit the coring knives to extend therethrough for rotation therein. For purposes of adjustment of relative positions of the knives S1, 55 and the gripping levers the heads 59 on the shafts 46 carrying the knives 51 are made adjustable on said shafts through the adjusting screws 57.

In operation and with the motor 11 rotating the turret and driving the feeding belt 22, the produce such as tomatoes is manually impaled upon the pins 2S axially of their core. As each respective impaling pin and its produce is carried into alignment with the rotating gripping levers 41, 44 at the first station, the turret is rotated to position wherein the cam 31 perm-its the lever 41 to engage the lower side of the produce and lift it from its impaling pin to strip it and raise it into gripping contact with the upper gripping lever 44 under tension of the spring 45 as controlled by said cams. As the turret revolves, another impaling pin with its produce and a pair of gripping levers come into cooperating relation to pick up the next succeeding produce, all of which are picked up and clamped between the levers at the first or feeding station in timed relation with the progress of the pins and produce entering the machine. Further as the turret rotates swinging the first mentioned gripped produce to a second station, said levers with the gripped produce therebetween are raised into position for the coring knife the lower coring knife 55, the upper lever being carried therewith under tension of spring 45, which i-s free to i follow due to release of its cam follower 35 from the short cam 34. Thereupon the lower portion of the core i is removed. Continued rotation carries the produce to the discharge station wherein the follower 39 rides up the cam 34, lifting its lever 44 followed by lever 41 by the tension of spring 45 to the extent permitted by engage- The levers at this station, therefore, 1lift the produce from engagement with and free of the knife 55, but due to cam 31 will not permit upward movement of the levers to the extent that the upper knife 51 Will be engaged. In this intermediate position between the two knives the levers are separated to free the produce against the tension of spring 45 through the downward movement of lever 41 caused by action of the cam 31 and simultaneous upward movement ofthe lever 44 effected through action of the short cam 34. With the produce thus free from the levers, it is caused to engage a discharge finger 58 which rolls or positioned to strip the produce from the respective pins and support it in gripped position, a pair of spaced rotatable coring knives associated with said levers, cam actuated means for moving said levers relative to each other under tension to grip and strip said produce from said pins, and means for moving said levers in unison to carry the gripped produce alternately into cutting engagement with said spaced knives, and means for rotating said knives and moving said belt and levers in timed relation.

2. A coring machine for the coring of core containing produce, including a movable feeding belt having a series of spaced upstanding produce impaling pins, a rotatable turret associated with said belt to which said produce is fed thereby, a plurality of pairs of opposed gripping levers carried by said turret the levers of each of said pairs being reciprocable on opposite sides of the produce embracing position of said impaling pins to grip and strip said produce from said pins, a plurality of pairs of opposed coring knives carried by said turret, each knife being rotatable on opposite sides of said prodnce embracing position, means for urging said levers together into produce gripping position, a mounting rod carrying each gripping lever, stationary cam members engageable by said rods during rotation of said turret for effecting relative movement of said levers to and from gripping position and effecting the joint raising and lowering thereof to present said produce alternately to said coring knives, means for rotating said knives, and means for driving said turret and feeding belt in timed relation.

3. A coring machine for the coring of core containing produce including a rotatable turret into which said produce is fed, a plurality of pairs of opposed reciprocable gripping members carried by said turret positioned to move successively into produce embracing position, with both core ends thereof exposed, a plurality of pairs of spaced coring knives, each knife associated with one of said gripping members and rotatable about an axis aligned with the exposed core ends, spring means for urging said members together into produce gripping position, a reciprccable mounting rod for each gripping member, stationary cam members with cam surfaces engageable by said rods during rotation of said turret for effecting relative movement of said members to and from gripping position and for effecting the joint raising and lowering thereof to present produce alternately to the respective coring knives.

4. A machine of the class described, a movable feeding belt having a series of spaced upstanding produce impaling pins, a turret, a plurality of pairs of opposed i gripping members on said turret positioned relative to said belt and impaling pins to receive the produce therefrom and support it in gripped position, a pair of spaced opposed rotating coring knives, said knives being aligned with the core and on opposite sides of the produce to be cored, means for rotating said knives about the axis of the core, means for jointly moving said members and gripped produce to carry the produce alternately to the respective coring knives for coring first one end portion of the core and then the opposite end portion thereof, and means for moving said feeding belt and gripping members in timed relation.

5. A coring machine for the coring of core containing produce, including a movable feeding belt having a series of spaced upstanding produce impaling pins, said pins extending axially into the core of said produce, a movable carriage associated with said belt to which said prodnce is fed thereby, a plurality of pairs of opposed gripping fingers carried by said carriage positioned to move into produce embracing position, a plurality of pairs of upper and lower spaced and opposed rotating coring knives, each knife associated with one of said gripping fingers and rotatable about the axis of the core, means for urging said fingers together into produce gripping position, a mounting rod for each upper and lower gripping finger, stationary members cngageable by said rods during movement of said carriage for effecting relative movement of said fingers to and from gripping position and effecting the joint raising and lowering thereof to strip said produce from said pins and alternately present it to the upper and lower coring knives, and means for moving said carriage and feeding belt in timed relation.

6. A coring machine for the coring of core containing produce including a movable carriage to which said produce is fed, a plurality of pairs of opposed produce gripping members carried by said carriage relatively movable into produce embracing position for receiving the produce fed thereto, a plurality of pairs of opposed coring knives, each knife being associated with one of said gripping members and rotatable about the axis of the core, means for urging said gripping members together into produce gripping position, cam means associated with said movable carriage, said cam means having a cam surface for effecting relative movement of said members to and from gripping position, and having another cam surface for effecting the joint movement thereof to present produce alternately to the respective coring knives, means for rotating said coring knives, and means for moving said carriage from produce receiving and gripping position through the several coring positions to producereleasing position.

7. A coring machine for the coring of core containing produce including a movable feeding belt having a series of spaced upstanding produce impaling pins extending through a portion of the core axially thereof, a rotatable turret associated with said belt, a plurality of pairs of opposed gripping fingers carried by said turret positioned to move into produce embracing position and strip said produce upwardly from said pins, said fingers being spaced and having a passage therebetween for clearance of an impaling pin during relative movement of pin and turret, 'a plurality of pairs of upper and lower spaced and opposed coring knives, each knife being associated with one of said gripping fingers to extend through the opening therebetween and rotate about the axis of the core for cutting the upper and lower portions thereof from said produce, respectively, means for urging said fingers together into produce gripping position, a mounting rod for each upper and lower gripping fingers, stationary cam members engageable by said rods during rotation of said turret for effecting relative movement of said fingers to vand from gripping position and for jointly raising and lowering said levers to present produce alternately to the upper and lower coring knives, means for rotating said knives, and means for driving said turret and feeding belt in timed relation.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 

